Lavender Summer Sponge { VEG / DF }

July is lavender season and Leo and I are fortunate enough to be living on his mom's herb farm where clouds of soft purple dance in the breeze and bees busy themselves on foraging this summer beauty.

I never used to love lavender. In fact, for a long time I thought I was allergic. Fortunately, spending time on the farm surrounded by the strong scent of lavender that has absorbed into the walls of the house and that hangs heavy in the fields throughout the growing season has not tickled my nose or made my eyes water the way I was certain it would. I now suspect that the negative experience I had with lavender scents in the past can be attributed to some artificial fragrance.

So, in short, I now love lavender and use it regularly, not just at work, but also for personal use. Which brings me to this spectacular sponge cake recipe we made for my belated birthday celebration.

If you've ever made a sponge before, this recipe is straightforward, just add a few lavender ingredients and - voila! - you have a scrumptious floral cake to enjoy at summer picnics or brunches. If this is your first time making a sponge, fear not, it isn't overly complicated and even mistakes can be turned into something delicious when working with such fun flavors.

Lavender Summer Sponge Recipe

Vegetarian | Dairy Free

Ingredients:

5 backyard eggs, separated*

175 g / 6 oz caster or superfine sugar

2 tbsp organic sunflower oil*

1 tsp imitation vanilla extract*

90 g / 3 1/4 oz all-purpose flour (cake flour preferred)

30 g / 1 oz almond flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 organic lemon grated zest*

2 tbsp oat milk*

2 tbsp dried, ground lavender

2 tbsp lavender simple syrup

9 oz So Delicious Dairy Free CocoWhip Coconut Whipped Topping

fresh lavender sprigs

thinly sliced lemon (optional)

* see ingredient notes at bottom of recipe for details

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Coat the bottom of a 9 in / 23 cm springform pan with oil and dust with flour. Gently tap pan to remove excess flour.

In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until creamy, about 5 minutes. Slowly, pour oil into creamed sugar and add vanilla. Beat for another 2 minutes. Sift in the flours, baking powder, dried lavender, and lemon zest. Gently fold the ingredients until fully combined. Add the milk and carefully combine.

Put the eggs whites in a glass or metal bowl and whisk until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the cake batter, taking care not to knock too much air out. Combine until no pockets of flour or egg white remain.

Pour the mixture into the springform pan and bake for 30 minutes. Poke the center of the sponge with a toothpick or bamboo skewer to ensure that the sponge is fully baked. If toothpick comes out clean, remove sponge and leave to cool in pan for 5 minutes.

Turn sponge out onto wire rack and let cool completely. Once cool, carefully cut sponge in half horizontally so that you have 2 equally-sized, thin sponges.

Brush half the lavender syrup onto the top of one sponge. Then, cover the top of this sponge with half the CocoWhip. Gently place the other sponge on top of the first and repeat adding syrup and CocoWhip.

Decorate the top of the sponge with fresh lavender and lemon slices.

Notes about ingredients:

• Eggs - It is possible to make a vegan version of this sponge but we haven't had much luck at doing so (and have made quite the mess in attempts to do so). We are fortunate enough to have our own backyard, happy hens, but if you do not, I would recommend seeking out eggs from the most ethical source you can find.

• Vanilla - Imitation vanilla extract is typically a more sustainable alternative to pure vanilla. You can also get organic, fair-trade vanilla but it costs a pretty penny.

• Sunflower Oil - Sunflower oil is one of the best alternatives to typical vegetable oils. Sunflowers can be GMO, so seek out an organic option.

• Lemons - When using the peel, I always recommend using organic lemons. (Well, really, choose organic, local produce whenever possible because it is better for you and the planet.)

• Oat Milk - Oat milk is one of the most environmentally-friendly milk options out there, and one of the tastiest. Oatly is hands-down my favorite oat milk brand, but there are plenty of other brands making this yummy, sustainable milk to choose from.